Red light turned green; all systems go for Emmet Sheehan

Based on tonight's game alone, you could've fooled someone into believing Emmet Sheehan was the starting pitcher in this outing, putting up an All-Star season, as he led the way for a 6-3 win in his return to the bigs. With a scarcity of hits, particularly on the home side, the Dodgers saved their only home run for the most impactful of moments as Teoscar Hernández crushed a three-run bomb in the sixth, responsible for half their runs.

The Reds came into this game with a plan to keep Chase Burns on a tight leash, protecting their prized pitching asset down the stretch in a season without a postseason chase. The game tested the Reds' resolve, with Burns smoking through the Dodgers' lineup in three near-perfect innings—the only Dodger to get on base was Max Muncy via walk. Striking out half of the 10 batters he faced, Burns was still removed from the game after just three frames, paving the way for Brandon Williamson to operate against a lefty-heavy lineup.

Williamson picked up right where Burns left off, and a bit of luck and the right timing helped the Dodgers get on the board for the first time and, doing so, take the lead. Trailing 1-0 through the first half of this game after Elly De La Cruz's first-inning bomb, the Dodgers had one on and two outs in the fifth, following strikeouts from Kyle Tucker and Hunter Feduccia. Alex Call was down 0-2 in the count, ready to make it three Ks when he was plunked by Williamson, who would induce a high-bouncing grounder by Miguel Rojas—that grounder rushed an errant throw from the Reds' third baseman, allowing both runners to score.

As quickly as the Dodgers took that lead, they nearly surrendered it, with the Reds circling in the top of the sixth. Emmet Sheehan faced runners at the corners with one out and the Reds' top two hitters up. He struck out De La Cruz, chasing well outside the zone, to reach a double-digit punchout total—tying a career high—before walking Sal Stewart to load the bases and seal his exit. With a lefty coming up, Dave Roberts made the call to the bullpen, bringing in Alex Vesia, who promptly struck out J.J. Bleday. No pitcher ever wants to hand off a free pass, but as far as they go, the one to Stewart wasn't too bad from Sheehan, not giving up against the league leader in RBI.

Baseball has a term for a scoreless frame right after getting on the board: your traditional shutdown inning, the case for the Dodgers in the top of the sixth. It should also have a term for pouncing on that opportunity and scoring big in the next chance, something like an opportunistic inning , exactly what the Dodgers had in the bottom of the sixth. Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman worked walks off Williamson, and then the lefty-mashing skill set of Teoscar Hernández took over, putting one in the home bullpen over the left field wall to up the lead to 5-1.

This power display from Hernández was the perfect summary of a heavy three-true-outcome game, one in which both teams combined for an absurd 20 strikeouts in the first six innings alone. Emmet Sheehan (10), Chase Burns (5), Brandon Williamson (4)—basically anyone was able to induce swing-and-miss stuff consistently. Furthermore, when Eugenio Suárez took Seth Halvorsen deep for the Reds' second solo shot to make it 5-2 in the seventh, half of the game's six hits were home runs. What put the Dodgers in front was superior defense and an easier ability to draw walks.

The Reds don't get to lament their lack of opportunities in this one. Pitching in the eighth, Jack Dreyer faced two on and no one out, defending a three-run lead with the heart of the Reds' order up. Operating like someone leading by three, Dreyer punched out Stewart and allowed an RBI groundout to pinch-hitter Dane Myers, replacing Bleday, whom Terry Francona wouldn't allow to have another lefty-lefty duel late in this game. Whatever impact that run might have had was neutralized when Will Smith pinch-hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame and secured a sac fly. Any time the Reds threatened to gather some momentum, the Dodgers quickly reaffirmed their dominance in this game.

Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 in his first game back with a couple of strikeouts and a walk. The good news is that the lineup didn't need him to win their fifth straight. Unlike Dreyer in the eighth, Evan Phillips had a clean ninth, securing his first save of the season.

Home runs— Teoscar Hernández (13), Eugenio Suárez (22), Elly De La Cruz (24)

WP— Emmet Sheehan (5-8): 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts

LP— Brandon Williamson (3-4): 4.1 IP, 3 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned runs, 5 walks, 4 strikeouts

SV—Evan Phillips (1): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts

It's the Dodgers' turn to deploy one of their aces on Tuesday (6:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) as Tarik Skubal takes the ball, coming off his first start allowing double-digit hits in over two seasons—not that it particularly damaged his final line, allowing just two runs—with Nick Lodolo on the other side for the Reds.